Chapter 21

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Previously:

“What are you doing here, Sir Anthony?” Mary asked in astonishment.

He smiled one of his charming smiles that always gave Mary a chill and answered.

“To see my nephew, Miss Bennet.”

--

“What do you mean, My Lord?” Mary asked in anticipation. Yet, she had a feeling she did not want to hear the answer.

Sir Anthony smiled again and walked up to her. He put a hand on Mary’s shoulder and made her jump in fright at the touch.

He looked down at her and said, “I must thank you, Miss Bennet, for bringing my attention to this orphanage. Otherwise, I would not have found my long-lost nephew.”

“What nephew, My Lord?” Mary asked, still confused and unsure of the situation.

“You see, Miss Bennet,” Sir Anthony began, taking his hand off of Mary’s shoulder, “I had a sister before. I believe I have told you before about her.”

Mary nodded in acknowledgment, remembering something Sir Anthony had told her before in passing.

Sir Anthony turned around and stared off into one of the windows in the hall. He said, “My sister was quite the romantic, and unfortunately, naïve when it came to love. It was her first Season in London when she met Lord Eddington and promptly fell in love with him. He led her on with his sweet talks and empty promises, as he did with countless other young, innocent girls who were blinded to his malicious nature. I warned my sister against him, and when she tried to talk about eloping with Lord Eddington, I immediately opposed the scheme. She became upset, and the next day – ”

Sir Anthony paused, and drew a deep breath before continuing, “And the next day, she was gone. My parents and I searched everywhere for her, but no avail. The only thing she left us was a letter that she had indeed eloped…with Lord Eddington.”

At the sound of the name, Mary flinched.

Lord Eddington?

No, it cannot be.

“For more than a year, there was no news about either one of them,” Sir Anthony continued, “Until one day, a letter reached me. It was from my sister. In it, she wrote that she was ill, but pregnant and that the Marquis had abandoned her for Europe because of it. Obviously devastated at the prospect of death, her letter was almost incoherent and her whereabouts were ambiguous. I waited for a month, searching for her, after the letter and then I knew. I just knew that she had died. From then on, I have been looking for her child, but to no avail…Until now, that is. And it is all thanks to you.”

Mary cringed again when he said those words. She asked, faintly, “And who is…your new found nephew?”

“In actuality, I had two nephews. One of the twin, George died a few years ago. And the remaining nephew, is Jonathan,” Sir Anthony said and looked at Mary, searching for her reaction.

Jonathan Burton. Burton.

The name pounded over and over again in Mary’s head. She could not believe it. She just could not believe that Jonathan could be Lord Eddington’s illegitimate son.

It is impossible.

Yet, images of Lord Eddington and Jonathan inevitably started to resurface. Mary replayed those moments over and over again, trying to find any possible indications that Lord Eddington knew that Jonathan was his son. However, there was none.

No, it cannot be true. It canno –

Suddenly, Mary’s eyes widened when -

…name him Jonathan George Burton…

“Burton.”

He knew. He must have known. Why else would he have been so adamantly against Sir Anthony every time they came across each other? Why else would he have paid so much attention to Jonathan? Why else would he have even bothered with the orphanage in the first place?

“B-But why?” She asked Sir Anthony hesitantly, yet urgently, “Why would Lord Eddington still come to this orphanage if he knew Jonathan was his child?”

Sir Anthony took a step forward and clasped his hands around Mary’s shoulders, as if steadying her for what was to come. He looked into her eyes and quirked his lips, “Perhaps, Miss Bennet, the better question is, why Lord Eddington did nothing while knowing Jonathan is his child?”

Mary’s eyes widened at the question. She couldn’t help but think back to all those times Lord Eddington had surprised her with his seemingly genuine affections towards the orphans. Looking back at those times now, the smiles that Lord Eddington showed to the children made Mary’s stomach twist in disgust, disbelief, and…

To think, all that time, his son was in an orphanage and he did nothing. And to think, I had thought myself in –

Mary shuttered at the thought and briskly shook her head, stopping herself from finishing the inevitable words. She felt tears creeping to the brim of her eyes as the frustrations she was feeling became too much to handle.

Sir Anthony took a step forward and clasped Mary’s shoulder even tighter until they were almost in an embrace. He looked gently down at the woman in his arms and smiled a smile that almost seemed sympathetic. He lightly turned her head until their eyes met and said, “Miss Bennet, I understand that this might seem a shock to a person of such delicate disposition as you. I believe it I best if I bring around a carriage to bring you home immediately so that you could have some time to think this over with a clear head.”

Mary weakly nodded her head let Sir Anthony lead her to his awaiting carriage outside of the orphanage. She sat herself down next to the carriage windows and looked out, trying to clear her mind and think of the situation properly. As the carriage rolled along the rugged road and the image of Sir Anthony disappeared as the carriage made a turn, Mary thought back to Lord Eddington.

How could he do such a thing? How could I have been so disillusioned by his niceties as to think that perhaps I had made a mistake in my initial judgment of his character? He made a complete fool out of all of us. The orphanage. The children. Jonathan…And me. He made a fool out of all of us.

At the thought, Mary’s brows etched in a frown.

No. Lord Eddington cannot get away with this.

He cannot be forgiven.

As fate would have it that morning, just after Mary Bennet’s carriage left the Darcy’s home that morning, Lord Eddington’s carriage pulled up next to the entrance and the Marques himself stepped out. Despite the gloomy weather and the usual London fog surrounding him, any passerby who saw the Marquess of Eddington that morning would have remarked at the radiant smile he had on his face. There was an undeniable lightness in his gait as he made his way to the Darcys’ door and knocked on the door.

The footman, Arthur, never an early riser, grudgingly opened the door, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and tiredly asked, “What is it? If is it the flour again, must I t – ”

He stopped when his eyes were clearly opened and the image of the Marquess met his eyes. Arthur quickly straightened his jacket and ushered the Marquess into the parlor. “I must apologize, My Lord, for my impertinence. I cannot exp – ”

The Marquess laughed, “There is no need to apologize – Arthur, was it?”

The footman nodded.

“Now, Arthur. I am here for Miss Mary Bennet. Though I know she is an early riser, if she is not awake yet, I will wait for her.”

“I apologize, My Lord. Miss Bennet just left to go to the orphanage. She will not be back until the afternoon, My Lord.”

“And the Darcys? Are they home this morning?” Lord Eddington asked.

“I am afraid Mr. and Mrs. Darcy left for Bath two days ago. Mrs. Darcy’s mother has had a bout of ill health, and she requested for the Darcys to accompany her to Bath.”

“Well then, I will just have to wait for Miss Bennet.”

When Mary Bennet stepped down from her carriage in front of the Darcys’ townhouse, she was surprised by a flustered Arthur, who came rushing to her with an urgent look on his face.

“Miss Bennet, Miss Bennet! You must come in at once!” He implored and uncharacteristically led her inside.

“Whatever is the matter, Arthur?” Mary asked, puzzled as to why the footman was acting this way.

“A visitor, Miss Bennet. For you.”

Mary sighed, “Arthur, whoever it is, I cannot receive any visitors right now. I need to rest.” She started to walk towards the stairs. “Do give my apologies to whoever is here.”

“But Miss Bennet!” Arthur cried urgently, “It is not just any visitor! Lord Eddington is here, waiting for you in the parlor.”

Mary stopped midway up the stairs.

Lord Eddington?

She turned around and slowly walked down with a frown on her face. “Lord Eddington is here?” She asked. Arthur nodded and said, “He has been waiting for you for more than two hours, Miss Bennet.”

Mary pursed her lips tightly. The anger she had felt in the carriage came rushing back.

“Well then, Arthur, you must show me in. How can I leave the Marquess waiting for so long?”

When the parlor doors opened, the Marquess of Eddington turned around in surprise from his place next to the fireplace to find Mary Bennet staring at him with a bland look on her face.

“Why, Miss Bennet,” He quickly came forth and greeted her, “Are you alright? You seem pale.”

Mary quickly curtseyed and walked to sit on one of the settees. She said, dispassionately, “I am fine, thank you, My Lord. But I must implore at the intentions of your visit for I was quite surprised when I found out that you have been waiting for me for more than two hours. Moreover, I must apologize for your wait, My Lord.”

Lord Eddington, a bit taken aback by Mary’s icy demeanor, smiled and said, “No apologies needed, Miss Bennet. It is entirely my fault that I came without any notice.”

He looked at Mary expectantly for an answer, but could only find her blank stare. Lord Eddington cleared his throat and walked, a little nervously, back to his initial spot in front of the fireplace. He propped his elbow against the mantelpiece awkwardly and cleared his throat once again.

“As for my intentions, Miss Bennet,” the Marquess said as he put his other hand in his pocket. He paused, carefully considering what to say next, “I came to visit you today, Miss Bennet, in order to explain to you the reasoning behind my .... actions.” He looked back anxiously at Mary, who was still seated at the settee, but was met with those blank stares of her.

He shifted from his spot and moved to another corner of the room, and said, with his back towards Mary, “As you may have noticed, Miss Bennet, I had been absent from London for a few days after the house party at my parents’ house.” He paused again and turned around to meet Mary’s gaze. Seeing that she was not about to say anything, he made his way to the seat across from hers and sat down. But as quickly as he sat down, he stood up again and walked a bit closer to where Mary was sitting.

“The reasoning behind that absence, was that I – I had to make a trip to Northumberland, where my ancestral home is located. The reason for my trip was to retrieve a ring.” He took a deep sigh and looked down. Then, he took a step in her direction and said, “That ring…has been worn by every future Duchess of Thornton for the past five generations.”

Mary’s eyes widened at this. Her resolve to look calm and composed melted away in an instance as she told herself over and over again in her head:

This cannot be. This cannot be. This cannot be…

With the hand that had been in his pocket, Lord Eddington pulled out a small box from his breeches. He opened the box, and placed on the table right in front of her eyes, the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. She gasped at the sight of the ring and looked up to find Lord Eddington staring at the carpet underneath his feet and both hands in his breeches

“My Lord,” Mary tried to say after a moment of speechlessness, “This comes as a … surprise.”

The Marquess turned around and stared at her for a moment. Then, to Mary’s surprise, he bent down on one knee and clasped her hands in his.

“Miss Bennet,” he said, with a impassioned look on his face,“I understand that my sentiments have not been so evident throughout our acquaintance. I understand that my actions have not been the most chivalrous or the most romantic. And I understand that you found me repulsive upon our first meeting. But despite all that, by some way or another, Miss Bennet, I – I found myself…in love with you. If you will say yes to my question today, I will do all that I can to make you happy. And I hope that you will be able to come to feel for me the same that I feel for you.”

Mary stared at the man in front of her. Never had she ever seen him this way. He looked so…sincere. Never had she ever heard those words said to her. Never had she felt so…needed by another in her life.

If only he said this yesterday. If only I was another woman, and he, another man, I would have said yes.

But Mary quickly dispelled the thought from her mind and instead, the thought of Jonathan, the orphans, and Sir Anthony’s sister came to mind. She looked at Lord Eddington again, and her initial surprise was replaced by…anger. Anger at the fact that he dared to say this knowing that his own child was living in an orphanage. Anger at the fact that he dared to get down on one knee and propose after he abandoned his pregnant mistress to die. Anger at the fact that he could make her think, for a brief moment, that he was actually sincere in his declaration of love.

Mary immediately pulled her hand from his. Lord Eddington looked up in alarm as he watched Mary’s face harden in resolve.

“My Lord,” Mary began, “Before I answer your question. I have a question of my own.”

Mary stood up and looked down at the Marquess, “Those words you said just now, My Lord, were…more than kind.” She paused. “So I wonder, did you use the same words for Jane Burton?”

At the mention of the name, the Marquess looked up in alarm. “Miss Bennet, what – ”

“Perhaps it was not just Jane Burton. How many women have you ensnared in your sick game with those words?” Mary asked, her anger evident in her voice, “How women have you told lies to? How many women have been deceived by you and completely abandoned by you?”

“Miss Bennet, listen to – ” Lord Eddington tried to reach for her hand, but Mary promptly stepped back further from him.

“No, My Lord. You listen to me,” Mary said as her anger built in her voice, “When I met you, I knew you were everything I absolutely hated in a man. But as I grew to know you better, I began to question my initial judgment of character. I questioned my conscious and thought that perhaps the Marquess of Eddington was actually sincere in his actions towards the orphans and towards myself. Perhaps I was wrong. However, it is evident that you are the person I initially thought you to be, and even worse. You, My Lord, you are the most despicable man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I am ashamed to have ever even thought that you were a man of quality, and I cannot tolerate this contemptible act that you have just put on! How dare you – ”

However, Lord Eddington interrupted her, and said, his face twisted in restrained anger, “Pardon my interruption, but on what basis do you make your contemptible accusations against my character?”

Mary immediately answered as she felt her face flush, “Why should that matter? The truth still stands.”

Lord Eddington took a step toward with a menacing look on his face and Mary involuntarily stepped back towards the fireplace. He said, “It would matter if this ‘truth’ was told to you by Anthony Burton. You would be a fool to believe what he says!”

Mary immediately glared at him and retorted, “I would be a greater fool for believing what you say! Sir Anthony, though hardly the most perfect man on earth, is far superior to you in every respect. You, who fathered a son, abandoned your mistress, and promptly left your son at an orphanage,” Mary suddenly felt hot tears spill over the rim of her eyes and trail down her cheek, but ignored it as she continued, “You, who would see your son at an orphanage without taking him in, without telling him the truth, and without doing anything about the situation. You, who has made a fool of everyone, and most of all, me!”

Mary paused and took a deep breath to calm herself as she breathed heavily. She sighed and looked up to meet Lord Eddington’s own indecipherable eyes. She said, this time, more quietly despite the tears falling freely down her cheek, “And most of all…how could I trust a man like you? How could I believe myself…in love with a man like you? How could I, Mary Bennet of nowhere, believe that the Marquess of Eddington could possibly have truly loved me? How could – ”

Suddenly, with a rustle of clothing, Mary found herself with her back against the wall with a pair of strong arms encircling her tightly and a pair of lips, crushed against hers. They stayed there for a brief moment without moving, neither knowing what to do. Mary’s heart pounded against the pressure on her chest and her face immediately reddened as she felt Lord Eddington's whole body engulf her own. He was the one to pull away his head but his body remained completely covering hers. Lord Eddington held his head downcast so that Mary could only see the top of his head, but she could feel his breaths on her skin. Slowly, almost painstakingly, he looked up and into her eyes. Mary was shocked when saw in them a look of...desperation.

"Do you..." The Marquess said, his voice hoarse, "Do you really think that of me, Mary? Regardless of what Sir Anthony said, do you really think that I am the monster of a man you just described me as? If you say yes - I will leave right now and you will not have to see me again. But - But if there is any inkling of doubt you have...any at all, please - please say no. Say no, and give me ... some kind of hope."

Mary could only stare into his eyes, not knowing what to do at all. Her heart screamed for her to say no. Yet, her lips never moved. Her hands involuntarily moved to her neck to touch the locket the Marquess gave her. However, she was shocked when she could only feel her own collarbone at the tip of her fingers. The Marquess looked down, and also saw her naked neck. Mary watched without a word as he looked back up at her with a pained expression on his face.

"My Lord, I - " Mary tried to explain, but was interrupted by the Marquess.

"I will take that as a 'yes'", he said with a small smile.

Immediately, Lord Eddington pulled away and stumbled back with a blank look on his face. Mary tried to take a step forward and stop him, but somehow, she did not move, and remained with her back against the wall. Without a looking in her direction, Lord Eddington quickly said, “I apologize for my behavior, Miss Bennet, and I apologize for the distress I have put you through.” He walked over to pick up his ring and with a tip of the hat, he said, “Good day, Miss Bennet.”

Without another look back, he was gone.

Immediately after the Marquess left, Mary’s legs finally gave away and she slid down the wall and unto her knees. There, she stayed, eyes transfix at the place the ring had rested on the table. Slowly, she lightly touched her lips and then wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Her mind, on the other hand, had only one thought in mind:

Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?

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A/N: Whew! That was hard to do. Hopefully, everyone will like how this story has progressed because I had an extremely hard time writing this chapter (more so than usual). So please REVIEW with all your opinions, they really mean a lot to me :)

I apologize for the sporatic updating. Sorry!